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At the Institute’s core is the Gilder Lehrman Collection, one of the great archives in American history. More than 85,000 items cover five hundred years of American history, from Columbus’s 1493 letter describing the New World through the end of the twentieth century.

Pickman, William, 1748-1815 to John Langdon

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC06529 Author/Creator: Pickman, William, 1748-1815 Place Written: Salem, Massachusetts Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 21 June 1778 Pagination: 1 p. : docket Height: 30.5 cm, Width: 17.7 cm Order a Copy

Pickman, a Salem shipping merchant, states "A most mortifying accident has occurred which will be extremely Injurious to me unless removed Immediately- the Ship Black Prince is now fit for a cruise with every Article Compleat but by some unaccountable delay of Our Court no Commission can now be obtained." Requests that Langdon, a Continental navy agent, furnish him with the necessary commission. States "should Our Ship be detained we may lose every Man." Relates that Captains Smith and Orne (possibly referring to Captain Josiah Orne) "will wait on you with this any Obligation they enter into with you I will be bound to Perform."

Pickman, William, 1748-1815
Langdon, John, 1741-1819
Orne, Josiah, 1745-1789

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